Hozier, Christy Moore, Glen Hansard, Mundy – they all began their careers at Whelan’s, Dublin’s premier live music venue. This Wexford Street institution draws a mix of old-school music heads and hip yopros who come for the jubilant atmosphere and stellar, indie-centric programme. Head to the back room, where two DJs are usually on hand, for the real craic.
Whether it’s news to you or not, Dublin is a seriously good night out. In fact, we’re pitting it up there with the European greats: Berlin, Budapest and Barca (yep, you heard us). It might not have the Barca weather to match, but Dublin is home to some cracking nightlife, for a night you may or may not remember.
Here, you can start your night at one of the city’s fantastic pubs, grab a great dinner, and party into the early hours at an iconic club. If swanky cocktail bars are more your thing, you’ll find that too, but Dublin is best known for dancing the night away. From LGBTQ+ spots to ’90s-themed pub nights, here are the best nightlife spots in Dublin right now.
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This guide was written by Éadaoin Fitzmaurice, a writer based in Dublin. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.